Before you invest in the Fitbit Aria Air, you should know that unlike other Fitbit smart scales, it doesn’t use a small electric current to detect your body composition – a method known as bioimpedance. This means you get a less complete picture of the changes in your body, but it does mean it’s safe for people with implanted devices like pacemakers.
Instead, the Fitbit Aria Air measures weight and calculates your BMI based on the height you entered when you created your Fitbit account. This data syncs instantly with the Fitbit app, so you can track changes over time and see how close you are to your goal weight. It’s also easy to see how lifestyle changes, such as increased exercise or improved sleep habits, have affected your weight. The Fitbit Aria Air connects to your phone via Bluetooth and has no Wi-Fi connection.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]This means it’s very quick and easy to set up without having to enter your home network password. However, your phone must be within Bluetooth range for the data to sync. If you own a Fitbit smartwatch or fitness tracker and aren’t particularly interested in the details of your body composition, the Fitbit Aria Air is a good choice. It’s solidly built and easy to use, so it’s easy to get into the habit of weighing yourself regularly.
The Fitbit Aria Air is available in black and white and, like almost all smart scales, features a tempered glass platform. In our tests, this seemed particularly susceptible to fingerprints. It is water resistant, so you can wipe it off with a dry towel if it gets wet in the bathroom, but we found that the prints were stubborn even with a microfiber cloth.
It requires three AAA batteries, which are included. Unlike other scales, there are no markings to indicate where best to place your feet. However, since the scale does not use bioimpedance, this should not be a problem.
Since the scale does not track body composition, it can only identify you if your phone is within Bluetooth range. If you step on the scale without a connection, your weight will be displayed, but your data will not be synced. They are not stored on the scale itself, as there is no way to assign them to a specific user.
This could be inconvenient if you don’t take your phone with you to the bathroom in the morning, but it does mean that there is no limit to the number of people who can use the scale. Most smart scales only support between four and 16 users, but the Aria Air has no such limit, provided each person has a Fitbit account.